


A Fitting Farewell

by Saphean



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-05-07 02:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5440826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saphean/pseuds/Saphean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Reaper-War.<br/>Honouring the dead.<br/>Sorry, I'm hopeless at summaries</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Fitting Farewell

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xDomino009x](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xDomino009x/gifts).



Standing next to Liara, his arm draped consolingly around her shoulders, Garrus watched as the rest of the people gathered at Shepard’s memorial slowly started to leave. At first it was the surviving members of the Citadel Council – the people who had made her life a living hell – followed shortly after by the Alliance brass – the people who should have been there for her throughout all the crap she took, but weren’t – and finally her family, friends and the last remaining members of the Normandy’s crew.   
When the last of the attendees had departed, Garrus took one last look at the obelisk that had been erected in Shepard’s honour. He could feel Liara’s shoulders trembling beneath his arm as she wept.   
After a few minutes, Liara dried her eyes and walked up to the monument. “He wouldn’t have wanted this.” She whispered softly as she traced his name on the shiny metal plaque. “He hated the idea of being… immortalised, when so many others died alone and unmourned.”   
Staying where he was, so as not to intrude on her grief, Garrus thought about what Liara had said. Jake Shepard had been an outstanding diplomat, a great soldier and an even better friend. He’d put everyone’s needs before his own – whether he knew them or not – even travelling halfway across the galaxy at times just to help someone solve a minor problem they were having. Alright, having three of the best mercenary groups in the Terminus Systems trying to kill him hadn’t seemed all that trivial at the time, but now…  
“You know?” Garrus said eventually. “Maybe we should honour Shepard in a way he would have approved of.”  
Liara turned towards him, her blue eyes wide with curiosity. “What are you talking about?”  
Wrapping his arm around the asari’s shoulder again, Garrus looked down at her and smiled. “Just meet me by the Normandy tomorrow.” He replied secretively.  
**  
Arriving at the Normandy, Liara found not only Garrus, but also Kaidan, Miranda, Zaeed, Vega, Kasumi, Jack and Steve waiting for her. She was about to ask what they were all doing there when she noticed how tired Garrus was looking.   
“Well? What the fuck are we waiting for?” Jack asked in her usual blunt tones. “Let’s get this bird in the air.”  
Liara stared at her, dumbfounded. “In the air, but I thought…”  
“Liara? How many times has Joker stolen the Normandy?” Garrus asked, whilst giving her a look that clearly said “did you expect anything less?” and shaking his head incredulously. “One more isn’t going to make any difference.”  
Unsure what was going on, and struggling to accept that she would never see Shepard again, Liara allowed herself to be guided onto the ship. Like Shepard would have done, she painted a smile on her face and greeted everyone who was there to see her.   
As they were going through the airlock – decontamination was yet to be fixed – Miranda took Liara to one side. “You don’t need to put on a brave face for us. We all lost Shepard, but not like you did.”  
Looking at Miranda, Liara realised she was right. She’d lost her best friend… her confidante… her lover, and the citizens of the galaxy had lost one of the greatest people they could ever hope to meet; in her opinion at least. When it came down to basics though, she doubted there was a person left alive who hadn’t lost someone important to them.   
**   
Disembarking the Normandy several long hours after she’d boarded, Liara stopped and looked around. She could see the tell-tale signs of battle damage, but some of it seemed too old to have been caused by the Reaper War.   
“Where are we?” The asari asked, wondering why Garrus had decided that this was the best place to honour Shepard.  
Garrus gave her that secretive smile again. “You’ll see.” Looking past her, he swept his hand out towards the waiting shuttle. “Just get in. It’s quicker than walking… especially now.”   
Climbing into the shuttle, Liara sat down between Kaidan and Zaeed. She’d only met Zaeed briefly before – when she’d spent a few hours visiting Shepard aboard the SR2 a few months after it was built – but he’d seemed friendly enough.   
Five minutes into the shuttle flight, Kasumi stopped looking out through the window and turned towards Liara. “Did Shep tell you about when he played ‘dress-up’ as an infamous mercenary?” She asked, referring to the time she’d gotten him to don a suit and help her retrieve Keiji’s grey-box.  
Liara shook her head. “Not in so many words. And he certainly never mentioned a suit. He made it sound more like he dashed in, did the job and escaped on some valiant white steed or something.”  
Zaeed laughed. “From what I heard there was a lot more ass-kicking and explosions. And even I can’t mistake a Cerberus shuttle for bloody valiant steed, and I’m half blind.”  
**  
Garrus looked out through one of the shuttle’s windows. “Looks like we’re here.” He commented, banging on the cockpit door to signal Steve that it was time to land the vehicle.  
Getting to her feet as the hatch opened, Liara looked out. All she could see were fields. The place reminded her of Eden Prime, but she knew that wasn’t where they were. Behind her, Garrus reached under his seat and pulled out a small crate he’d stashed under there. When Liara saw it, she recognised it immediately.  
“That’s from Shepard’s cabin.” She stated, wanting to ask what Garrus was doing with it, but not sure if she wanted to know the answer.  
Garrus nodded. “I thought it would be fitting, given the circumstances.” Jumping down from the shuttle, he walked a few paces then turned back to Liara. “Welcome to Mindoir.”  
Liara looked around, stunned. “Mindoir?” She whispered, close to tears. “This is..?”  
“Where Shepard grew up?” Garrus finished. “Before the final assault on Earth he made me promise to bring you here if he couldn’t do it himself. It just seemed right that we all came together.”   
Passing the crate to Vega and asking him to pass out the beers, Garrus reached into one of his pockets. “He also asked me to give you this.”   
Taking the small box Garrus was holding out to her, Liara opened it. Inside she found a simple gold necklace with an infinity symbol pendant. Looking more closely at the pendant she noticed the names Liara and Jake had been etched on it in both human and asari lettering.  
**  
While Kasumi helped her to fasten the necklace, Liara looked at the people gathered there. All of them had fought at Shepard’s side. All of them would have been willing to lay down their lives for him, just as he’d been willing to lay down his life for them. But most important of all; they were all his friends. She had to admit she’d been dubious when Garrus had suggested doing something themselves to honour Shepard’s life, and even more doubtful when Joker had stolen the Normandy – yet again – but now she couldn’t think of anywhere she’d rather be.  
“Do you think he would have approved?” Garrus asked quietly a few minutes later.  
Liara looked up at him, a smile gracing her lips, and nodded.


End file.
